Chapter 10
I answered quietly, “Okay”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before he spoke again, his voice laced with uncertainty. “Aren’t you upset?”
“No, I’m not angry.”
He hesitated, then pressed on, “Aren’t you going to ask where I went or who I was with?”
“You’re an adult,” I replied, my voice steady. “You don’t need anyone to manage you like a child.”
His silence stretched on, and when he finally spoke, his tone was strained. “Victoria, I feel like you’ve pulled away from me so much
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lately.”
“I feel like I can’t hold on to you anymore.”
I was taken aback by his words. In the past, he had always told me not to be jealous, not to get angry, not to overreact. But now, when I was calm, composed, and more than reasonable, he still saw me as distant.
But it didn’t matter. He would soon realize that the only things we no longer get emotional about are the things we’ve already let go of.
“Victoria, do you still love me?”
His question was so soft, almost like a whisper, it seemed to dissolve into the air, lost among the passing sounds of the street.
Then, with a quiet sigh, he added, “I won’t be
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home tonight. I’ll pick you up at nine a.m. tomorrow. I promise, I’ll make these days unforgettable for you.”
Tomorrow? I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to wait for him.
But deep down, I knew he’d break his promise again.
So, I responded in the same gentle tone, “Okay”
My professor had told me that I was scheduled to leave at 1 a.m. and that someone would come to pick me up.
“Have you wrapped everything up?” he asked, his voice kind but direct.
“I heard from your junior that you’re planning to get married?”
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I held up my right hand, now devoid of its ring, and smiled warmly. “I’m single.”
The professor nodded, his expression understanding. “Victoria, this is a ten–year closure. If there’s anyone you need to say goodbye to, now’s the time. After this, you won’t be able to see them again.”
I nodded quietly in agreement.
At noon, the whole department gathered to throw me a farewell party.
My junior, eyes red with emotion, said, “Miss Victoria, I really envy you. I want to follow in your footsteps.”
I gently patted her head. “Work hard, and I’ll be waiting for you there.”
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“Mm! I’ll find you! Wait for me!”
In the afternoon, the real estate agent called to tell me it was time to sign the contract.
I was taken aback by how quickly everything was moving. The agent explained that in today’s fast–paced world, everything happens quickly. The buyer was a teacher from the nearby high school, looking for a place close to work and able to pay in full upfront. I rushed over to sign the paperwork, granting the agent the authority to handle everything else.
By evening, I found myself back at my alma mater, walking the familiar path William and I had once taken together.
There were sweet memories here. On the playground, a twenty–year–old William held my hand for the first time, his face flushed
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with a shy smile. He kissed me for the first time in a secluded grove, his breath quick and nervous. In the library, we would study, sharing quiet smiles over our textbooks. Beneath the dorm building, we hugged tightly, reluctant to let go.
At twenty–two, William slid that ring onto my finger, his eyes red with emotion as he promised to marry me and give me a good life. At twenty–five, his business had taken off, and he held me close, excitedly counting the zeros in our bank account, dreaming of the children we would have one day. By
Ewenty–seven, he said, “Victoria, let’s get
married. We’ve made it through the so–called ‘seven–year itch! I’ll always love you.” But by twenty–eight, he had already begun to pull away, distracted by someone else. I was no longer his priority.
I remembered that song.
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The intense love that once blazed so fiercely had long since dimmed, while the quiet affection that grew steadily in the background lingered, never quite fading
away.
I lifted my gaze, brushing away the tears that had fallen.
I had convinced myself that I had moved on, yet as I reflected on the years we had shared, a deep ache stirred in my chest, reminding me of what we once had.
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